Desdichado
Hero
Well, that half update is sitting on my computer at work, and i'm stuck at home with sick kids. It'll have to be next week, I guess.Joshua Dyal said:
DARK•HERITAGE -- 16 installments to date, updated April 20th
- Thread starter Desdichado
- Start date
Quickbeam
Explorer
Campbell said:
Thanks Campbell. I think we all do a pretty good job in this regard, which is critically important in a three person party!! The funny thing is, Stockdale's character and mine trade several barbs each session but because they tend to occur away from the action which makes reading SH posts so enjoyable, you don't get that sense. FWIW, here's my take on the character relationships:
Tson & Rosham: Tson respects Boh's willingness to explore the unknown and occult, and his ability to talk his way into and out of most situations. Rosham admires the hulk's brute strength, loyal nature and knack for earning people's trust despite his rough appearance.
Konrad & Tson: Both are capable combatants and acknowledge the other's battle prowess. They also seem not to mind the other person's quirks or shortcomings and probably work together better than either does with Boh.
Rosham & Konrad: Each grudgingly respects the other's contribution to the group and its missions...most of the time. At the end of the day Konrad wishes the gray would shut up occasionally while Rosham prays the Wildlander might bathe and learn to interrogate people before killing them.
That's my take on group dynamics, Stockdale and shadowlight may see things differently.
Desdichado
Hero
Speaking of party dynamics, there's the possibility of another character (or even two) joining up, but unfortunately no possibility of another session until January sometime.
Desdichado
Hero
D'oh! I can't access my work account from home, though. I'll have to read it tomorrow.
Desdichado
Hero
Interlude, Part II
The three of them sat down warily while Alainna helped herself to another drink. They didn't know where all the alcohol was going; she didn't show any sign of succumbing to even the slightest bit of drunkeness. She bolted down another shot then sat down with them, smiling slightly.
"See, it's the High Lord's wife," she began. "My brother and I are suspicious of her. Strange things have been happening at their house, and we suspect she is somehow facilitating illegal and dangerous occult activity. But, we have to move carefully, of course. We don't trust all of our own people, especially in a situation that may implicate the highest authority in the area. And that's where you come in." She smiled again. The three investigators gulped collectively.
"My brother recommended that I recruit you to help me. I've been invited, you see, to a party at her house while her husband is away. Hints are that she has planned some occult entertainment; a minor sorcerer or seance or some such activity. I need someone to come with me, incognito, disguised as my retainers, who can investigate what's going on."
She arose. "The party isn't for a few more weeks. But I'll need your help then. In the meantime, I believe you have something you're looking for for my brother?" She smiled knowingly, and it seemed mockingly at them and took her leave of them.
Despite the lateness of the hour, all of the group agreed that they needed to discuss exactly what their next plans were, especially in light of this latest ...opportunity for adventure. They all agreed that it was probably not best to refuse a request from their patron, even if indirectly through his sister. But it also wasn't something that they were anxious to prioritize. They had heard their own rumors of strangeness from the High Lord's house, naturally. But they decided to not do anything about the High Lord's wife just yet. They had other concerns pressing them that they found more intriguing at present, including the offer from Aberraine. They decided to go to bed for the night, and then go back to The Steams a good 45 minutes prior to their appointment the next day. After that, they were anxious to charter some transportation to the location in the desert revealed to Rosham via his dark, fevered dreams. That trip would take a few days, but they should still be back in plenty of time for Alainna's soiree at the High Lord's house.
When the group arrived again at The Steams they were told that Mr. Kisaragi was not available. Instead, they were shown upstairs into an office of a slight, older man who seemed bothered at having to deal with them. He was clearly much more interested in compiling his financial records than in dealing with the rough-cut adventurers, although he did mention that Mr. Kisaragi had not been at The Steams for several days due to the threat of some inter-gang violence against the location.
The adventurers weren't convinced and Konrad in particular was anxious to "lean on" the little guy until he coughed up Kisaragi. Maybe that explains why he didn't hear any of the sounds from outside the little office; the screams of the patrons below, the running and shouting, the ringing of steel and the coarse shouts from outside until the door burst open.
Several armed men, of foreign ethnicity resembling Kisaragi himself, were pelting through the hallway with blooded swords. One look at Rosham, Tson and Konrad, and they charged them as well, putting up a desperate fight. Tson and Konrad were both wounded before one of them went down, and the other dived to the ground, rolled away from the combat and down the stairs. Rosham, with a shout, leapt from the top of the stairs and impaled the brigand on his rapier as he landed heavily on the floor.
Konrad and Tson rushed down to continue fighting the remaining brigands, now spilling out into the steam rooms. One of them ripped off a knob on a brass pipe as he was fighting Konrad, and the wild man was blased with a jet of steam. In the obscuring cloud, he slipped into one of the ricepaper-walled rooms. Tson charged in after him and was pelted with hot stones and coals for his trouble. Konrad went around to the next room and charged through the damp rice paper walls to surprise the last combatant and strike him down.
Then the steams was very quiet. There were no more signs of struggle or cries, although a few moans of the not-quite-dead started to quietly soak through the air. In the main room, besides the bodies of the attackers that Tson, Konrad and Rosham had killed, there were dead patrons and guards on the floor as well, and slowly moving waves of blood soaked spread through some of the pools and slimed the floor. "I'll go check outside," Rosham said, darting out to inspect what was going on beyond the walls of The Steams itself. He didn't see anything particularly interesting; a few passers-by looked at him darkly as he emerged with his bloody sword bared, but seemed unaware of what was happening inside.
At that moment, all three of them had a flash -- a vision of death. Rosham saw it most clearly, as even the passers-by appeared to be bloated and stinking corpses, surrounded by flies. Then, as soon as the vision hit them, it ended and the world returned to normal. Rosham collapsed. In his mind, he saw yet another vision. A man; jaundiced, sick and old, was strapped to a table. Candles at each corner gave a dim illumination. He was wearing nothing but a dirty green loincloth, a metal vice or claw on one hand, and his head was covered with a rusted and broken chainmail hood. His other arm was wrapped in a tight bandage that was soaked with bloody spots. He could hear mumbled chanting, and when he tried to focus on the words, they shocked him with their twisted blasphemy, even though he couldn't understand what was said. He retreated from focusing on them, and let them fade into the background. Then he saw a pair of hands, as if it were his own, but they didn't look like his. They were Unbred human, and older. In one hand was a knife, in another a large rat; sick, rabid and mangy, yet held tightly so it couldn't squirm away. He saw the hand with the knife pierce the man on the table, who jerked and screamed. His torso was opened up, then the other hand shoved the rat inside. The knife hand picked up a needle and thick thread and sewed the rat inside the man's torso. He could see the man writhing madly, and see even the movement under his skin of the rat squirming as well. The sutures were raw, crude and big, and the table was soon dripping in blood. The chanting rose to a fever pitch.
Then the vision ended and he found himself sprawled on the cobblestones in front of The Steams. One of the passers-by he had been watching before his vision was still in sight; he looked like he were weighing whether or not this person who just dropped to the ground were worth robbing. Rosham scowled and stood up. The man shrugged and walked away as Rosham turned back inside.
The three of them sat down warily while Alainna helped herself to another drink. They didn't know where all the alcohol was going; she didn't show any sign of succumbing to even the slightest bit of drunkeness. She bolted down another shot then sat down with them, smiling slightly.
"See, it's the High Lord's wife," she began. "My brother and I are suspicious of her. Strange things have been happening at their house, and we suspect she is somehow facilitating illegal and dangerous occult activity. But, we have to move carefully, of course. We don't trust all of our own people, especially in a situation that may implicate the highest authority in the area. And that's where you come in." She smiled again. The three investigators gulped collectively.
"My brother recommended that I recruit you to help me. I've been invited, you see, to a party at her house while her husband is away. Hints are that she has planned some occult entertainment; a minor sorcerer or seance or some such activity. I need someone to come with me, incognito, disguised as my retainers, who can investigate what's going on."
She arose. "The party isn't for a few more weeks. But I'll need your help then. In the meantime, I believe you have something you're looking for for my brother?" She smiled knowingly, and it seemed mockingly at them and took her leave of them.
Despite the lateness of the hour, all of the group agreed that they needed to discuss exactly what their next plans were, especially in light of this latest ...opportunity for adventure. They all agreed that it was probably not best to refuse a request from their patron, even if indirectly through his sister. But it also wasn't something that they were anxious to prioritize. They had heard their own rumors of strangeness from the High Lord's house, naturally. But they decided to not do anything about the High Lord's wife just yet. They had other concerns pressing them that they found more intriguing at present, including the offer from Aberraine. They decided to go to bed for the night, and then go back to The Steams a good 45 minutes prior to their appointment the next day. After that, they were anxious to charter some transportation to the location in the desert revealed to Rosham via his dark, fevered dreams. That trip would take a few days, but they should still be back in plenty of time for Alainna's soiree at the High Lord's house.
~•~
When the group arrived again at The Steams they were told that Mr. Kisaragi was not available. Instead, they were shown upstairs into an office of a slight, older man who seemed bothered at having to deal with them. He was clearly much more interested in compiling his financial records than in dealing with the rough-cut adventurers, although he did mention that Mr. Kisaragi had not been at The Steams for several days due to the threat of some inter-gang violence against the location.
The adventurers weren't convinced and Konrad in particular was anxious to "lean on" the little guy until he coughed up Kisaragi. Maybe that explains why he didn't hear any of the sounds from outside the little office; the screams of the patrons below, the running and shouting, the ringing of steel and the coarse shouts from outside until the door burst open.
Several armed men, of foreign ethnicity resembling Kisaragi himself, were pelting through the hallway with blooded swords. One look at Rosham, Tson and Konrad, and they charged them as well, putting up a desperate fight. Tson and Konrad were both wounded before one of them went down, and the other dived to the ground, rolled away from the combat and down the stairs. Rosham, with a shout, leapt from the top of the stairs and impaled the brigand on his rapier as he landed heavily on the floor.
Konrad and Tson rushed down to continue fighting the remaining brigands, now spilling out into the steam rooms. One of them ripped off a knob on a brass pipe as he was fighting Konrad, and the wild man was blased with a jet of steam. In the obscuring cloud, he slipped into one of the ricepaper-walled rooms. Tson charged in after him and was pelted with hot stones and coals for his trouble. Konrad went around to the next room and charged through the damp rice paper walls to surprise the last combatant and strike him down.
Then the steams was very quiet. There were no more signs of struggle or cries, although a few moans of the not-quite-dead started to quietly soak through the air. In the main room, besides the bodies of the attackers that Tson, Konrad and Rosham had killed, there were dead patrons and guards on the floor as well, and slowly moving waves of blood soaked spread through some of the pools and slimed the floor. "I'll go check outside," Rosham said, darting out to inspect what was going on beyond the walls of The Steams itself. He didn't see anything particularly interesting; a few passers-by looked at him darkly as he emerged with his bloody sword bared, but seemed unaware of what was happening inside.
At that moment, all three of them had a flash -- a vision of death. Rosham saw it most clearly, as even the passers-by appeared to be bloated and stinking corpses, surrounded by flies. Then, as soon as the vision hit them, it ended and the world returned to normal. Rosham collapsed. In his mind, he saw yet another vision. A man; jaundiced, sick and old, was strapped to a table. Candles at each corner gave a dim illumination. He was wearing nothing but a dirty green loincloth, a metal vice or claw on one hand, and his head was covered with a rusted and broken chainmail hood. His other arm was wrapped in a tight bandage that was soaked with bloody spots. He could hear mumbled chanting, and when he tried to focus on the words, they shocked him with their twisted blasphemy, even though he couldn't understand what was said. He retreated from focusing on them, and let them fade into the background. Then he saw a pair of hands, as if it were his own, but they didn't look like his. They were Unbred human, and older. In one hand was a knife, in another a large rat; sick, rabid and mangy, yet held tightly so it couldn't squirm away. He saw the hand with the knife pierce the man on the table, who jerked and screamed. His torso was opened up, then the other hand shoved the rat inside. The knife hand picked up a needle and thick thread and sewed the rat inside the man's torso. He could see the man writhing madly, and see even the movement under his skin of the rat squirming as well. The sutures were raw, crude and big, and the table was soon dripping in blood. The chanting rose to a fever pitch.
Then the vision ended and he found himself sprawled on the cobblestones in front of The Steams. One of the passers-by he had been watching before his vision was still in sight; he looked like he were weighing whether or not this person who just dropped to the ground were worth robbing. Rosham scowled and stood up. The man shrugged and walked away as Rosham turned back inside.
Last edited:
Desdichado
Hero
It's been way too long since anyone's Sanity was threatened, says I.Quickbeam said:
Time for more foulness in January.
Desdichado
Hero
Just a little note: we had a new character join us this last Friday, Sellah Turik, played by broghammerj. With four instead of three characters, I can step up the challenges just a bit more.
He's also brought into light another further refinement that the rules will probably need; since his concept is a bit of a pistolier (who carries two big flintlocks, a musket over his back and a Derringer-esque little pistol in his boot) we've decided we think the reload time on the Freeport firearms rules is too long. I'll probably shorten it considerably; to one full round, and the feat can improve that to one standard action (so with the feat, you could reload both pistols in a single round.)
He's also brought into light another further refinement that the rules will probably need; since his concept is a bit of a pistolier (who carries two big flintlocks, a musket over his back and a Derringer-esque little pistol in his boot) we've decided we think the reload time on the Freeport firearms rules is too long. I'll probably shorten it considerably; to one full round, and the feat can improve that to one standard action (so with the feat, you could reload both pistols in a single round.)
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